Sounders meant business in 4-2 win over LA Galaxy
Sep 26, 2016, 5:33 PM
I think most people, including yours truly, expected the Sounders to return from Los Angeles on Monday with zero points, one if they got a little lucky. In my projections for Seattle’s playoff chances, I even wrote off this result as a loss, with the notion that the Sounders could make up for it by winning their remaining home matches. But the Sounders won in LA for the first time since 2009, also handing the Galaxy their first loss at home all season.
If there was any doubt that the Sounders – and Jordan Morris – had the endurance and fortitude to go the distance and make the playoffs this season, this result surely wiped it away. Brian Schmetzer’s men mean business.
The Sounders’ mental acuity should certainly be praised, as it’s not easy to go down to Southern California when it’s 94 degrees and compete in an already notoriously difficult place to play. The men in rave green knew what they had to do and that their shot at the playoffs needs as much help as possible, so they clearly came into this one with the right mindset. But what else has changed for Seattle since those early defeats? Two things stand out: Something I’ll call ‘positive possession,’ and Morris.
The two are inter-related, so I’ll start with the first. What I mean by positive possession is that the Sounders not only held a possession edge in this match, but they managed to utilize their time on the ball well. They turned possession into goals by creating good chances. Earlier this season, the Sounders would tally double-digit shots but only put a few of them on target. Against LA on Sunday, the Sounders had six shots on target from 12 total, not a bad number considering the opponent.
Nicolas Lodeiro’s arrival has certainly affected the Sounders’ creativity, but even he wasn’t as influential against LA as he has been. But his play, along with Schmetzer’s coaching, has made the team more potent in attack than they had been prior. The buildup to Morris’ second goal was a brilliant example of a team playing great soccer, passing well in the final third, being in the right place at the right time, and never giving up while the ball is still in play.
One player stood out as doing all of those things well, though: Morris, the rookie forward. His brace against LA makes it 12 goals for him on the season, five short of the rookie record. Morris’ maturity and improvement was on display, as both of his goals evidenced. He may not break any more records – in fact, he may not score any more goals this season – but his improvement over the course of 2016 is already something to behold.
On his first goal, Morris turned a pretty pedestrian clearance into something magical. He used the outside of his left boot to tap the ball past Galaxy goalie Daniel Steres, and then used his speed and strength to maneuver past the defender, leaving him dumbstruck in Morris’ metaphorical dust. Morris took a quick look to scope out the closest defender, saw that it was just him versus Brian Rowe, and finished the kind of chance that he’d squandered a number of times this season. This was all 60 minutes into the match, too, so those concerned about Morris’ fitness have little evidence to stand on after he made that run in 90-plus degree LA heat.
Despite being less flashy, Morris’ second goal was even more evidence of the young man’s improvement. First, he created an initial opportunity by putting in a high cross to Flaco Fernandez, who headed it down for Valdez instead of shooting, and Valdez weakly latched onto the ball. It was enough to force a save, though, which sent the ball right into Morris’ path. He kept his cool, used a little fancy footwork to turn Robbie Rogers inside out, and blasted it into the net with his left foot. Many people have criticized Morris’ hesitancy to use his left foot, as he has often opted to use the outside of his right foot or pass the ball away rather than take a shot with his left foot.
The convergence of a creative, possession-based Sounders team with the maturing of Jordan Morris could have come at a better time. If the team had played like this all season, they’d be in the Supporters Shield debate, not pushing for a playoff spot. They’ll need a few more top class performances like they had in LA if they’re going to secure a postseason berth. But they’ve clearly got it in them. If you can score four in LA heat against a strong Galaxy side, I think you can beat just about anyone in this league.
Spenser Davis also covers the Sounders for Sounder at Heart.